Biologique Recherche Crème Hydravit’s Moisturizing Face Cream Versus Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream

Biologique Recherche Crème Hydravit’s Moisturizing Face Cream Versus Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair day moisturizer is formulated around Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Silica to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Cetyl Alcohol

Sucrose Polystearate

Jojoba Esters

Niacinamide

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Yeast Extract

Rhizobian Gum

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glyceryl Caprate

Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax

Tocopherol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Polyglycerin-3

Phenethyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Sorbic Acid

Water, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polystearate, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Yeast Extract, Rhizobian Gum, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Caprate, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglycerin-3, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid

Propanediol

Silica

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetearyl Glucoside

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil

Stearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Xylitylglucoside

Parfum

Polyacrylamide

Anhydroxylitol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xylitol

Butylene Glycol

Dimethiconol

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Decylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Laureth-7

Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract

Glucose

Maltodextrin

Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract

Sanicula Europaea Extract

Tromethamine

Citric Acid

Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Maris Sal

Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Silica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Xylitylglucoside, Parfum, Polyacrylamide, Anhydroxylitol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xylitol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Decylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract, Glucose, Maltodextrin, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Sanicula Europaea Extract, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Maris Sal, Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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